Supporting preservation efforts and local artists through on-site art-making, community conversations, and exhibitions.

Welcome to Painting for Preservation!

Welcome to Painting for Preservation! This initiative, founded by artist Sara M. Zak, is aimed at drawing attention to distressed, at-risk, and under-utilized historic locations through on site art making.

Mission: To bring together artists of all media in support of historic distressed properties and communities. To create artwork on-site related to the location as a means of raising positive awareness of the space. My hope is that we can continue this effort in Buffalo and expand the concept to other architecturally rich cities. Please e-mail Sara M. Zak if you are interested in starting a Painting for Preservation initiative in your city at info@paintingforpreservation.org

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Painting for Preservation came to develop organically and collaboratively bringing two of Bufflao's greatest community assests together: art and preservation. The group started in March and through September held nine gatherings of artists and preservationists to artisitcally document and creatively discuss historic places throughout Buffalo. For artists working in the urban environment it is a place to work alongside collegues and friends; and for preservationists it is a whole new perspective and level of appreciation of historic architecture. The group is inclusive and eclectic and welcomes community participation.

The movement was founded by Sara M. Zak, fine artist regularly working with distressed and difficult environments, among them empty cornerstores, abondoned gas stations, and bird's eyes perspective of entire neighborhoods wrecked by disinterest and disinvestment. Once developed into a group and regular event, with the help of Preservation-Ready Sites and the Niagara Frontier Plein-Air Painters, the goals developed to include:

Raise awareness of at-risk, distressed and under-utilized locations and their neighborhoods

Create a record of historically rich locations through art

Create a community of artists invested in the urban landscape

Bring exposure and provide assistance to artists interested
in documenting at-risk historic neighborhoods while also collaborating
with members of those same neighborhoods.

Involve communities in sharing their stories of local historic architectural and their neighborhoods.

Our message was particularly well-recieved at Lyth Cottage, as it was recently purchased as a single-family home by an enthusiastic young citizen. We are also grateful for the welcoming community of Saint Adalbert Bascilia's Parish when we joined them in their campaign against the Buffalo Diocese to keep the remarkably well-preserved and solvent parish open. It has unfortunately been closed but the photographs and artwork of that Sunday morning remains as a reminder of the building and communities aura.

The most visible and controversial P4P location was St. Mary's on the Hill, a ca. 1897 church and adjacent guild house, that was long vacant and neglected leading to its ultimate demolished during the Art-In. Many artists included the crane and backhoe in their renderings. True to its mission, many Painting for Preservation participants, particularly photographers returned over the many days of demolition to document the diminishing property. These will be a record of the unnecessary loss of this historic asset.

The original opening of ART + PRESERVATION took place during the National Preservation Conference, the annual meeting of the National Trust for Historic Preservation on Wednesday, October 18, 2011. Buffalo was collectively looking forward to this event for several years since it was announced that over 2,500 preservationists would be exploring our City. The Conference broke a 10 year attendance record and brought a renewed enthusiasm to Buffalo's restoration and rehabiltiation projects and also spurred frequent positive media attention of our historic assets. It has many times been said that Buffalo's architectural heritage is deserving of more local attention, simply because it is already known nationally, and even internationally.

It was a pleasure to share many of Buffalo's historic places as they were uniquely illustrated by Painting for Preservation artists. For preservationists, ART + PRESERVATION offered yet another perspective to the beauty of classical architecture, in all states of repair and disrepair. The public opening took place during the annual meeting of Preservation Buffalo Niagara, the regional preservation advocacy organization, on Monday, November 14, 2011, and boosted attendance of over 200.

Painting for Preservation would like to thank Mark Croce, owner of Statler Towers; the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Preservation Buffalo Niagara for their collective hosting of ART + PRESERVATION. A special thanks for contributing funds, resources and expertise goes to "See Hear Feel Touch Learn - Experience Art," Hallways Contemporary Arts Center, CEPA Gallery, and John Shotwell.

More information about the history and current condition of all of the sites visited by Painting for Preservation is available below. If you have additional questions or want to suggest locations, email Meagan at info@paintingforpreservation.org.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Come celebrate Painting for Preservation's first group exhibition with us! The exhibit is a result of Painting for Preservation's efforts during its inaugural year and an open call for work.

The show of over 100 pieces, features WNY artists working in urban spaces to document and imagine our historic places.

Our first opening was during the National Preservation Conference that was attended by a national crowd of over 2,500. We are now able and happy to invite Buffalo, artists and the public to the exhibit.